Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-25
LIARS AND LYING.
Ella Wheeler Says Liars are More
Often Born thas Made-Fashton.
able Lies thst Do not Count.
Some Different Types OF Liers-Lying Like
tho Opium Habit-Women with Whom
Lying il a Disease.
Cop 7Tighted, 1887.


"Let him who is without sin cast the
first stone"
We,are all lisrs to greater or less de-
gree, but that lamentable fact does not
lessen the enormity of the crime.
1 once saw charming lady, in the
presence Of several guests whom she had
been delightfully."- entertaining, take G
card from her servants hand, scan it with
slight frown, and return il, saying:
"Tell the gentleman l have gone TO bed
with violent headache" The servant
bowed ana conveyed the messsge-thus
increasing the number OF liars by two.
Fashionable lies of this kind are not
supposed to count in the catalogue OF
sins, but it seems to me they are like
parasites which destroy the delicate
leaves of c plant after time. They in
jure and blunt the finer perceptions of
right and wrong.
A gentleT an lsid weger with lsdy
the other evening that she could not live
through the following day without lying,
unless she hurt the feelings CT some of
her friends by seeming rudeness.
She lost the wager, declaring that she
found polite lies absolutely necessary, as
he had said. l do not believe them ne
cessary. however, and am confident We
would win and retain more friends in the
long run il we built our daily lives on g
foundation Of absolute truthfulness.
The moment detect man or woman N
e lie, however trivial, nv interest and re-
spect is lessened, and l am sure other
people are Influenced in the same way.
The moment my own lips have uttered
& polite lie feel decided lessening of
regard for myself, and am conscious that
silence or tact could have saved me from
the foolish error.
The liar who possesses good memory
may make success OF his profession for
years without detection. It is seldom,
however, that the art OF lying and the
art Of Remembering are combined in one
person.
remember woman in my own pro-
fession, who told me in our first inter
view that she mad received SIS
for short article which had re
Gently appeared. On our second meeting
she spoke Of the matter again, and said
she received $50 for it. A few days later
l heard her me ntion it to third party ss
having brought her S25. l learned alter
ward that she Wss paid SIS for the
article. Had she recollected her fist
statement l might never have doubted
her word.
Lying is like the opium habit. l have
known peoT lie Who began to tell "White
lies" for convenience, and ended by be-
coming the most absolute and shameless
of liars on every occasion.
In some cases lying is disease, and
should be treated as such.
know two ladies who are otherwise
excellent in character, aud both are val
liable members OF society. One is 6 de-
Vout church member in Eigh standing,
and foremost in all good works Ofchsgity.
Both these ladies seem physically and
morally unable to tell the truth. When
the truth would better serve their pur-
poses, they choose o lie. They harm no
one but themselves, as their lies are
never malicious, and refer usually TO their
own affairs.
One of these ladies is fond of telling
the most marvellous stories Of herself
and her friends. their remarkable adven-
tnres, their extensive weslth, their wide
travels, their intimate acquaintance with
renowned people. If you repeat these
fairy stories after her you cover yourself
with humiliation, as they are almost en-
tirely fsbrcations of her brain. II you
dsproTe her statements to her face she
locks you in the eyes, and smiles, and
emphatically declares you misunderstood
her words. Her conversation is spark
ling and bright, and you are amused and
entertained highly, until you discover her
gift for impr >visiDg.
The other lsdy's talent runs more in
mercantile channel. She makes a pur-
chase in your presence for which she pays
$40. Let third person enter the room,
and she declares smilipgly that she has
just paid 500 for the article. II you cor
rect her she insists that you are mistaken.
Her Doctors and dentists bills, her SER
wants. wages, the price of her boDnets
and boots, are all subjects Of exaggerated
statements. She has, like the majority
Of lisrs, memory like sieve, and con-
sequently contrsdicts herself dozen
times in "a many hours. Her friends all
acknowledge her unfortunate popularity,
but she is so kind-hesrted, and possesses
so many other admirable traits that she is
tolerated in spite of her lies.
It seems to me both of these ladies need
the serious attention of some specialist
on diseases of the brain.
l have heard an opinion expressed that
women are less frank and truthful than
men. II this Is true il is due to their ed
ucatioD. Women ere taught to conceal
and men to reveal their true natures from
the cradle 10. Women are taught that
the world expects them TO be statues of
decorum, and that it is merciless to the
one who by wore, atmosphere or act indi-
Gates that she could step down from her
pedestal.
Man is taught that he is human being
of varied passions, liable to fall into
error, which the world quickly forgets
and forgives. He tells the truth about
his nature aud his temptations, and the
world listens, sympsthi yes, and adnires
Woe unto the woman VINO, no mstter
how free from sin, confesses to her best
friends that she has ever in thought, even,
been stirred from her role of absolute
decorum. She is forevermore branded
doubtful" Conse quentlg she hides
from the world, aud, II necessary,
lies to conceal her real human
self from detection. l have heard the
objection offered that il we ell speak eb-
solute truth we must speak Ill of many
people. do not believe it. There is no
human being so depraved that good csn-
not be spoken of him. Il would be an
interesting experience II we should all
experiment for an entire month In fuding
the excellent quality to mention IN each
person We meet, and keeping silence con-
ceruing his or her faults.
Silence, however, is often made to
serve ss the HELPLESS handmade OF lisrs 7